Library

Michael Copps: America’s Internet Disconnect

America’s record in expanding broadband communication is so poor that it should be viewed as an outrage by every consumer and businessperson in the country. Too few of us have broadband connections, and those who do pay too much for service that is too slow. It’s hurting our economy, and things are only going to get worse if we don’t do something about it.

America Needs a Fiber-Based National Broadband Policy Now

By Jim Baller and Casey Lide, the Baller Herbst Law Group

In his latest album, Modern Times, Bob Dylan paints a troubling picture of what may  lie ahead for the United States. In a track called “Workingman’s Blues #2,” Dylan sings of  the diminishing buying power of American workers; of low wages becoming a reality in the face of brutal competition from abroad; of our inability to give away, let alone to sell, what we have to offer; of hunger creeping into our bellies; and of our fear of sinking into lives of continual crime.

“The place I love best is a sweet memory,” Dylan laments, “It’s a nude path, that we trod.” Dylan urges each of us to choose: “You can hang back or fight your best on the front lines, singin’ a little bit of these workingman blues.”

Are Dylan’s concerns overstated? Are they premature? We think not. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the details of President Bush’s broadband policies, most of us would surely agree with his observation in his most recent State of the Union address that America’s ability to remain competitive in the “dynamic world economy” is at risk. Noting the rapid emergence of competition from India, China, and other countries, he challenged America to take the dramatic steps necessary to ensure that we will continue to occupy the position of global leadership to which we have become accustomed.

In this paper, we discuss the critical importance of an aggressive national broadband policy that emphasizes the development of high-bandwidth communications systems, particularly FTTH systems. The stakes for America are huge. It is a fight from which we cannot hang back but must give our best on the front lines.

APPA report on battles over state barriers (2006)

Communities across the United States are working to bring broadband to their residents. Often, they are working with the private sector to provide services. But where private companies are unwilling or unable to meet local needs as fast as the community demands, some municipal governments are considering providing advanced communications networks and services themselves. Incumbent telecommunications companies and cable operators have often responded with fierce opposition and launch efforts to obtain state laws obstructing municipal broadband initiatives. Municipalities in Indiana faced such a fight this year — and secured a victory.

Jim Baller Interview by Glenn Fleishman, WiFi Networking News

“We talked today about a bit of history, starting with electrification 100 years ago, through the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia saga of 2004, finishing up with the Net Neutrality’s current drafts of laws in Congress that include provisions to level the playing fields for municipal broadband. Baller notes that the versions before Congress don’t tip the balance to towns and cities; rather, they require municipal entities to go through a reasonable process before building network.”